To satisfy the need for greater efficiency and increased emission control, modern diesel engines have become more complex increasing the difficulty of removing parts for repairs or replacement. More specifically, fuel injectors are especially difficult to remove because of carbon buildup in the injector receiving cavity. Fuel injectors adhere to the inner surface of the injector receiving cavity due to carbon build up at the tips of the fuel injector. Because of the carbon build up, impulse force must often be applied to remove an injector causing a risk of damaging the injector or possibly damaging the surrounding engine components.
In the past, conventional tools, such as a crescent wrench, were used to clamp and loosen an injector. These tools, however, were not readily able to reach injectors in obstructed areas of the engine and could therefore cause damage to the injector or surrounding engine components. Moreover, excessive carbon build up at the tip of the injector between the injector body and the cavity in which it is received also required more force than a conventional tool could provide requiring manual tapping of the tool or injector body with a hammer, for example, which obviously could result in damage.
Tools have been manufactured to attempt to solve the problem, however, many are not readily adaptable to avoid obstructions encountered in the engine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,992 issued to Webb discloses a diesel fuel injector tool for removing an injector without damaging adjacent component parts. The tool utilizes a rigid member having a U-shaped injector engaging structure at one end. The injector engaging structure requires that the injector be equipped with a ridge or lip to provide a leverage point. The rigidity of the tool may also limit its use in certain engines due to obstructions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,561,159 issued to Schuster discloses an adaptor and fitting for removing diesel engine fuel injectors and for connecting an impacting tool. The adaptor is designed to receive a gripping member at the top of the injector. This gripping member may be hexagonal in shape requiring the adapter to be forged as such. This requires different adapters to match differing fuel injectors.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,572,370 and 4,034,594 issued to Moeller and Morgan, respectively, disclose impacting tools utilizing a slide hammer to provide impact force. These tools, however, are rigid and exhibit the same problems of adaptablity around obstructions as discussed previously.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,691,610 issued to Harding discloses a die puller for removing die elements in printing equipment including a flexible member attached to a rigid slide hammer device. This device, however, requires at least three points of attachment and is equipped with only one removing head. Harding also does not teach its adaptability for the removal of fuel injectors.
Accordingly, there is a need for a removal tool which overcomes the known problems and provides a simple device useable at a variety of angles to adapt to various obstructions.